Young people want to heal. They want to be heard! With this in mind, it can be remarkably easy to begin:
Use Pongo fill-in-the-blanks. Free for download here!
Pongo Classic involves a group of 4-5 Pongo-trained Poetry Mentors facilitating a weekly poetry writing workshop with a small group of youth in a one-to-one ratio. Though Pongo has run poetry workshops with fewer mentors, we have noticed the one-on-one work most effectively catalyzes a poet’s healing process, resulting in powerful personal poetry.
Classic Pongo projects consist of 4 basic parts:
Each component is described in-depth in Writing with At-Risk Youth and during Pongo trainings. To start your own Classic Pongo project you will have to answer some questions, including:
For guidance on answering these questions, purchase Writing with At-Risk Youth , attend a Pongo training, or inquire about a Pongo Trainer consultation.
*Though Group Poetry Writing can be skipped due to time-constraints or challenging group dynamics, Group Poem creation can be fun and can build toward greater group cohesion.
To facilitate Pongo-inspired poetry activities in the classroom, instructors can lead students through the following components:
To facilitate teens’ openness, creativity, and dialogue, teachers should choose a theme. Themes should be non-intrusive (for example, themes should not force students to write on their trauma), but should be relevant to the emotional concerns of young people who may be leading challenging lives. Need help? Check out our writing activities and bookstore for ideas.